Astronomy - Page 42

Universe might be 2 billion years younger, shocking study says

September 13, 2019

Universe might be 2 billion years younger, shocking study says

The universe is assumed to be roughly 13.7 billion years old, but a stunning new study says it could be significantly younger than that — by a couple of billion years.

Get set for 'spooky' Friday the 13th Harvest Moon

September 13, 2019

Get set for 'spooky' Friday the 13th Harvest Moon

Skywatchers are in for a spooky treat thanks to the full moon known as the Harvest Moon, which coincides with Friday the 13th for the first time in almost 20 years.

Mysterious, newly discovered comet is probably an interstellar visitor, scientists believe

September 13, 2019

Mysterious, newly discovered comet is probably an interstellar visitor, scientists believe

Fresh off the excitement about Oumuaua, the first interstellar object discovered in our solar system, researchers have discovered what they believe is the second interstellar object.

Saturn shines in latest NASA image: 'Rings are still as stunning as ever'

September 13, 2019

Saturn shines in latest NASA image: 'Rings are still as stunning as ever'

Amateur astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere may be able to currently see Saturn, but NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken a series of images of the ringed planet that give new details about its rings, as well as its ever-changing weather.

Water detected on potentially 'habitable' exoplanet for first time, scientists say

September 11, 2019

Water detected on potentially 'habitable' exoplanet for first time, scientists say

Scientists have detected water vapor in the atmosphere of a “super-Earth” exoplanet with potentially habitable temperatures. The discovery, which is being touted as a milestone, could have major implications in the search for life outside the Solar System.

2 giant blobs at the core of our galaxy are spewing radiation. Scientists don't know how they got there.

September 6, 2019

2 giant blobs at the core of our galaxy are spewing radiation. Scientists don't know how they got there.

In 2010, astronomers working with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope announced the discovery of two giant blobs. These blobs were centered on the core of the Milky Way galaxy, but they extended above and below the plane of our galactic home for over 25,000 light-years. Their origins are still a mystery, but however they got there, they are emitting copious amounts of high-energy radiation.

NASA discovers mysterious green light that quickly disappeared

September 6, 2019

NASA discovers mysterious green light that quickly disappeared

NASA has spotted something mysterious in deep space that it can't quite explain — bright flashes of green and blue spots that appeared and disappeared in a cosmic second.

Meet the 'giant elephant trunks,' mysterious cosmic structures 10 times bigger than the 'pillars of creation'

September 5, 2019

Meet the 'giant elephant trunks,' mysterious cosmic structures 10 times bigger than the 'pillars of creation'

Ursa Major, the Tadpole Galaxy, the Crab Nebula — when it comes to naming objects in space, it sometimes seems like astronomers wish they'd gone into zoology. Continuing in this long tradition, a researcher has recently identified mammoth column-shaped structures carved from gas and dust that he has called Giant Elephant's Trunks.

Intense ammonia storms on Jupiter are messing up the planet's belts

September 4, 2019

Intense ammonia storms on Jupiter are messing up the planet's belts

Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is perhaps most famous for its giant Red Spot, a continuous storm that has been observed since 1830. But now, new powerful storms have started on the gas giant and they are disrupting the planet's belts.

NASA captures incredible image of dying star in deep space

September 4, 2019

NASA captures incredible image of dying star in deep space

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope managed to snap an incredible picture of a dying star in the Gemini constellation.